THREE in one day!!!

My mom has always said that I never do anything half way! I guess these challenge blogs are a really great way to get the mojo flowin'! The a•muse|studio consultants have a great challenge blog going, but I've never contributed. The current challenge is called "Let's Get Sentimental!" and they want the sentiment to be the focal point on the card. I immediately knew which sentiment set I wanted to use! Big Celebrations is becoming one of my favorites for birthday cards. Embossed in white, these stamps make a big statement!

All a•muse|studio products used!

Stamp Set: Big Celebrations

Paper: Grapefruit (quickly becoming my favorite pink)

Ink: VersaMark

Embellishments: white embossing powder, Bermuda ribbon, 

Not Your Grandma's Buttons in Bubblegum, Onyx twine, white Signo pen,

white Flax flower from Meadow Mix

I was watching a video on another consultant's blog today (The Kitchen Table Stamper) and her ribbon treatment inspired me for the rest of the card. I hope you like it. I'm off to do something in this house that does not involve paper or stamps. I have been neglecting many things today, but it was fun!

Go get inky and happy y'all!

Devon

A Masculine Card with Designer Paper ~ CFC54

I am going to make cards this summer... A LOT of cards! I feel like I really abandoned my passion during the school year and I got myself so thrown out of balance. I need to get inky and cut up paper and do it just for fun! To help myself get the mojo flowin', I'll be checking out as many challenge blogs as possible. Here is a card I did after checking out CAS-ual Fridays most recent post. Great place to get clean and simple ideas and inspiration!

All a•muse|studio products used except for the punch:

Paper: French Roast Woodgrain, Sugar, Buttercup

Stamps: Family Icons and Brief Notes

Ink: a•muse pigment ink in Blueberry, Cherry, and Memento Rich Cocoa

Tools: EK Success binder edge punch

This week's challenge is to do a clean and simple, masculine card using design paper. When I think masculine, I think of a•muse's woodgrain paper. Men woodworking, chopping wood, out in the woods... so masculine to me! And I had not yet inked our Family Icons set, so it was time to bust it out!  The sentiment comes from Brief Notes and makes this card more versatile. I can see using this is as a father's day card, thank you, card, or just something fun to slip into my husband's drawer for him to find at some random time. 

Don't forget ~ we've got two days left in May, which means you have two more days to get ahold of our AMAZING pigment ink at 20% off! I ordered every single color that I didn't already own. Can't wait for my package to come in the mail! If you want to take advantage of this great deal, hop on over to my web store before May 31st at 11:59 pm pst! Webstore link: HERE

Have a great day and go get inky!

Devon

Clean and Simple Cards - Day 5

Yes... I've skipped day four. I haven't figured out exactly what I wanted to do with the day four challenge yet and I woke up this morning more inspired to try some of Jennifer McGuire's techniques with Distress Inks from day five. I've always enjoyed working with Distress Inks, but I haven't played very much with them and how they react with water, so I was excited to give this a try. I came up with two cards this morning:

When I pulled out the Distress Inks to begin these cards, I looked at my colors and it seems I'm mostly drawn to blues and greens. I'm going to need to add some other colors to my stash, but I love the way these colors worked together. When I finished getting all of the color on the paper, it felt somber and more like a sympathy card. They're always the hardest cards to make, so I like to have a few already in my stash. It's hard to tell from the picture, but I added a slight shimmer to the inked background with a•muse's stardust finishing spray. I don't have any Perfect Pearls like Jennifer used in the video, but the finishing spray added just what I was looking for in the shine department. 

Recipe:

Paper: Strathmore watercolor paper, a•muse sky and sugar

Stamps: a•muse essential sentiments and beautiful botanicals

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, VersaMark, Tim Holtz Distress Ink in broken china, chipped sapphire, peeled paint, faded jeans, shabby shutters, bundled sage, stormy sky ( I really need to add some reds and yellows)

Other: a•muse white embossing powder and stardust finishing spray

One layer cards are very hard for me to do and feel like they are finished, but I'm pleased with how this turned out. It's simple, but very pretty and it will be easy to mail. This will be a technique I use a lot in the future. Besides... playing with ink and spray bottles and getting my fingers all inky is just super fun!

Recipe:

Paper: Strathmore watercolor paper

Stamps: a•muse essential sentiments and CTMH Treasures

Ink: VersaMark, Tim Holtz Distress Ink in faded jeans, peeled paint, and chipped sapphire

Other: a•muse white embossing powder and stardust finishing spray

I hope you have a wonderful day! All of my boys are off and occupied with boy things today. I'm heading out to my monthly scrapbooking get together and getting some much needed mommy time. But I will be making sure I know how my Niners are doing against the Saints!

Happy Saturday!

Devon

Clean and Simple Card Making - Day 3

I am on a ROLL!!! I feel like the overly ambitious student who gets all their homework done before the deadline... Yes, I am the Hermione of the Clean and Simple Card Making class! Day 3 begins tomorrow, but I've already got a card and I'm going to publish it tonight. What the heck? It's close to midnight anyway...

For day three, Jennifer McGuire showed two cards that she used die cuts on, which she layered to add dimension to the card. Julie Ebersole showed us how she used Pinterest (one of the reasons why I get to bed so late some nights) for inspiration. I used both of their ideas in ONE card! (I'm feeling kind of cool.) Here is what I came up with:

I've noticed that lately I've been pinning a lot of things on Pinterest involving hearts, rainbows, and clouds, so that's where I drew my inspiration from for this card. There is not one actual stamp involved in this card, because I couldn't find a sentiment that went with what was swirling around in my brain. I kept thinking of "Showering you with Love" and the hearts as the rain rather than drops. So I used my printer to generate the sentiment and cut it in a banner just like Jennifer did on her sample card.

To give the clouds dimension, I layered three of the small clouds on top of each other  and then put those on top of just one of the larger clouds. I like this technique, because then I'm not looking at dimensional adhesive when I see the card from the side. It almost looks like I've cut the clouds out of white chip board. The hearts have dimension since they have been die cut from felt. 

Recipe:

Card stock: a•muse | studio - sugar and sky

Embellishments: a•muse | studio felt, Twinery bakers twine in Marachino Cherry, random felt from my stash

Sentiment: computer generated

Tools: a•muse | studio dies - heart trio, cloud duo

Have a wonderful Wednesday stampers!

Devon

Just Because ~ AMC07

I saved my absolute favorite for last! I picked up the Kokeshi doll stamp at Stamp Attic in Anchorage a few weeks ago. I'm actually taking a class on campus this summer, as opposed to online. (My very last class in my master's program happens to be my very first class on campus!) I just love her! I also picked up the Sakura flower to go with her. She's so dainty and girly (hard to come by in my house) and I had to have her!

Wow! 5 posts in one day! That's certainly a record for this blogger! Hope you'll leave a comment and let me know what you think!

Goodies I used:
A Muse stamps: Kokeshi doll and Sakura flower and just because sentiment
CTMH ink: Bubblegum
Papertrey Ink: Kraft cardstock
Random cardstock from my stash
Offray ribbon
Silver Stickles from Ranger
Copic markers

Groovy! AMC07

Here's another card for Challenge #7 at the A Muse Lounge. The challenge is to ink up stamps you have never used before. That's not hard for me, since I'm new to A Muse stamps, but totally addicted and picking them up on a weekly basis. Shhhhhh.... don't tell my husband!

I just love this little bus and the "Have a groovy day" sentiment. I immediately thought of my Lime Rickey paper for some really groovy colors and patterns. So here's another cute little submission from me!

Goodies I used:
Papertrey Ink Kraft cardstock
Basic Grey Lime Rickey pattern paper
Nestabilities Labels One die
A Muse stamps
Copic Markers

Thinking of You ~ AMC07

I had quite the amusing day with my friend Nancy. I spent several hours playing at my table! I used a whole bunch of my A Muse stamps that have never seen ink, so isn't it perfect that the challenge in the A Muse Lounge is to ink it up! I've got five cards coming that will fit that challenge just perfectly and here is the first:

I just love what sweet and simple cards you can make with A Muse stamps. I've done a lot of really layered up cards, but I think this might be more my style.

Goodies I used:
Green note card from JoAnne's
Offray ribbon
Close to my Heart ink in Sweet Leaf and Tulip and CTMH sentiment
A Muse stamps: Long Grass and Mini Flower

I'm Seeing Spots! A-Muse-A-Palooza #4

I think I'm totally A Muse obsessed lately. I just love their cute little stamps! And their sentiments are so adorable. So, the challenge for A-Muse-A-Palooza #4 this week to use the word SPOT as your inspiration. And you have to use at least one A Muse stamp of course.

Well, I have had this margarita stamp for a long time and it was way past time to ink it up! I searched the internet for phrases with the word "spot" and I knew "hit the spot" was where I'd be going with this card. I have a friend who makes wicked, drop you on your butt, margaritas, so this card will be for her at some point during the school year. I hope you like it and leave a little love in the form of a comment. And come on back, because I've already to another idea for another "spot" inspired card!

Goodies used for this card...
Stamp: A Muse margarita, computer generated sentiment
Paper: random cardstock from my stash
Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, VersaMark
Accessories: Nestabilities Labels One die, Ranger Glossy Accents, Ranger Stickles in Lime Green, Copic Markers